Senator Loren Legarda on Thursday vowed to block any attempt to build a nuclear power plant in her home province of Antique, saying such a proposal would never gain local support.
During the Senate’s budget deliberations on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) proposed ₱28.1 billion budget for 2026, Legarda said she would oppose the allocation of funds to any agency pushing for the project.
“I am against it. I will fight it. I will oppose it. I am not in favor and I am not alone. I will block it every step of the way. Whichever government agency is studying it, do not waste your time and your resources,” she warned.
The lawmaker said she was alarmed by reports that Antique was among the areas being considered as potential sites for a nuclear energy facility.
Legarda reminded that the province, which faces flooding and has mountainous terrain and indigenous communities, is not suited for a nuclear power plant.
“I can speak for the people. They will not approve any nuclear facility in our province. There’s no need to debate it scientifically; the people will not allow it,” she maintained.
The senator urged the DENR to immediately remove Antique from the list of possible nuclear energy sites.
DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla clarified that his department was not the agency recommending the site for nuclear development.
He said the committee, known as the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee, also works with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to assess the suitability of possible sites.
Lotilla added that the list of areas being studied dates back to when the government first explored nuclear energy during the construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
Legarda requested the DENR to submit the committee’s findings and sought assurance that no environmental permit will be issued for any nuclear project in her province.
“There’s no need to think about it. Don’t study it. It will not fly. Don’t waste money. We need to be more safety-conscious,” she said.
